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Cheat Sheet For e-Commerce Marketing Through Blogging

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Blogging in an e-commerce sphere is not a whim. In fact, a blog has the real power to make or break a business. And yet many web-shop owners put blogging aside just because they cannot find the right approach and do not know how to get started on this task. This article shares 4 best practices to help you make sales without actually selling, drive targeted audience of immediate or potential buyers to your site and build up the loyalty of your customers. Sounds good but blogging seems frustrating? Read some tips to be clear on the theme.

ecommerce marketing through blogging

Drive traffic to your site with blog content.

Easier said than done, you sigh. But in fact it is not so hard when you know what to do. Think about your customers, imagine them in real life. Who are they and what are their interests? If you dwell on this for a while, you’ll come up with a list of keywords and relevant topics that can attract your audience. During this mental research you can also figure out what resources and social networks your customers prefer. This piece of information will come to use a bit later, when your blog will have some decent content and you’ll face the need to promote it.

So you succeeded and have lots of people reading your blog from cover to cover. But driving the audience is only half the job, keep in mind that your permanent readers are more likely to become customers; they become loyal to your team and your store.

Give your audience good reasons to come back.

Put your soul and mind in creating content. Blog should not become an advertising platform in the conventional sense. Be creative! Get your customers involved into the debates with you (using comments), hold up contests (photo, for example), and share user-generated content. Enliven your posts with entertaining content (music or video) to give the readers one more reason to follow your activities closely.

Don’t force the sale and promote your products at the same time.

This may seem like quite a contradictory statement. We are used to the idea that promotion is all about calling to purchase. On the one hand, you start blogging to engage more clients and have more sales, on the other hand, straightforward advertising irritates customer, and the very idea of blogging is to provide valuable information in the first place.

The key to solving this dilemma is finding a delicate balance between sharing tips (on look and fashion, technical matters, tourism or sport, whatever your business is about) and just mention that you can help with some matters.

The secret of success is in close relationship between interest and purchase. People come to blogs for inspiration and fresh ideas, not ready to spend some money. When they eventually decide to pamper themselves and do some shopping, your store will automatically be a target in their mind; because with the help of blogging you’ve created an image of a helpful expert in the sphere who obviously knows what he is dealing with.

People love gossip and whacking up interesting or funny things, make the blog share-friendly.

It’s a fact that before making purchases people take their time to make an immerse research for brands and products. They surf the internet and especially review sites, and only than make a pick for purchase, still not completely sure that they’ve made the right choice. There is a loophole in this mentality. People take reviews and opinions of their friends and family as the ultimate truth. Merchants can use this psychological mechanism to their benefit. Just enable sharing of your content in social network and let your word of mouth promotion spread and flow.

The best thing you could do for your e-commerce blog is to stop putting it off and saving the work for later. Just try to write your first post (you can ask a copywriter for help) and publish it. In the beginning it may seem hard, but the more you do something, the easier it gets. With this one effort you can open the door for new marketing opportunities and boost sales and reputation at the same time.

About the guest author:

Kristina pays careful attention to the latest marketing trends while developing detailed strategies for site performance improvement. She is a marketing manager and SEO specialist at Amasty, a company that develops professional Magento extensions which make the lives of Magento store owners easier.

 

Momentum Ventures’ Green Approach To Employee Perks and Practices

Editorial Team
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Businesses across North America, either willingly or begrudgingly, are embracing green policies. From small-scale changes like trying to cut down on wasted paper, moving work onto the cloud, and improving internal recycling programs, it seems offices are beginning to do their part for the environment. While these policies are a step in the right direction environmentally, some businesses are taking it to the next level. An example of this is Momentum Ventures. A technology company based out of Montreal, Quebec, Momentum Ventures is trying to motivate its employees to make green choices outside of the office by incentivizing these decisions as part of their employee benefit package.

 

The highlight of this benefit package environmentally is the electric vehicle lease subsidy. Employees at Momentum Ventures are incentivized to consider electric and hybrid vehicles when purchasing a vehicle using this subsidy, which would cover 50% of lease payments on electric and hybrid vehicles. Momentum Ventures CEO Matthew Keezer thinks this subsidy is a solid long-term addition to the employee benefit package, saying “buying or leasing a car is a long-term proposition, so while many employees don’t consider a vehicle purchase regularly, this subsidy will certainly be at the front of their minds when they do.”

 

In addition to the electric vehicle lease subsidy, Momentum Ventures looks out for those who don’t have or won’t be purchasing a vehicle. The company also covers a large majority of the cost of public transit and bike rental services like Bixi. This motivates employees to take public transit to and from work, a solution that obviously has a positive environmental impact. This perk is also valuable to employees as they can continue to use this bus or Bixi pass outside of work.

 

Momentum Ventures is also looking to go green in the office, having recently adopted a web-based human resources system. This has resulted in a significant reduction in paper use in the department and has eliminated the need for employees to print and fill out vacation, bus subsidy, and Bixi subsidy forms.

 

Green policies are slowly creeping their way into modern offices. With perks like Momentum Ventures’ electric car lease subsidy, public transit subsidy, and Bixi bike rental subsidy, employees should have an easy time adopting a greener work-life. Likewise, Momentum Ventures’ in-office changes are forward-thinking and benefit both the environment and the office in general.

Which cloud storage provider is right for your business?

Guest Contributor
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If you are considering moving your IT computing needs to the cloud, then there are a lot of options available to you. Sometimes, however, too many options is a bad idea, because you can spend a lot of time trying to decide which provider is the best one for your company.

So, let’s look at the difference between cloud storage and cloud computing providers and then at the questions you should ask any potential provider.

Cloud storage vs cloud providers

Cloud storage is when you simply save data and files to the cloud. Options include Apple iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive for example. All you are using the cloud for is storage and each cloud storage provider will have a variety of plans available, depending on the amount of storage you need.

Cloud computing providers, on the other hand, not only offer storage, but they also give you access to software and applications on the cloud. This means that you make huge savings in capital expenditure for hardware updates and maintenance, as well as in purchasing and updating software.

Questions to ask a cloud computing provider before you make your move:

 

  • How secure are their cloud services?

 

You need to be completely happy with the security of your data on the cloud. So, ask about data encryption, as well as their security measures. This includes firewalls, routine security audits, virus and malware detection and user login authentication. If your company deals with highly sensitive information and has legislative requirements on the storage and access of this data, then this is a topic that needs to be thoroughly discussed with any potential cloud provider.

 

  • Where are their servers located?

 

Companies that provide cloud services must house their servers in a secure physical location, so it pays to ask them about their location. Knowing that the servers that hold your data are safe and secure is an essential element when you select a service provider. The last thing you want is for a two-bit company to have servers in the back garage.

 

  • Do they have a data recovery plan in place?

 

Hardware and software inevitably fails at some point, so what are their back up strategies so that you won’t lose all of your data? Also, it pays to ask them how they protect your data from fires or floods at the server’s location, as this will play a large part in your final decision. They should also have backup servers in an alternative location, which can take over with minimal interruption to your services. Lastly, ask about their downtime, as any reliable provider will have at least a 99% availability uptime.

 

  • What customer support do they provide?

 

You will need 24/7 access to customer support and IT technical support, via phone not just email. This means that if anything goes wrong, you can be instantly on the phone making sure that the problem is addressed promptly. Also ask about their setup processes and if they walk you through the initial setup of your cloud computing.

With all of this information at your fingertips, cloud storage provider like iiNet is the best choice for your company.

 

5 Ways Large Sporting Events Impact The Technology Industry

Guest Contributor
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In the modern era, sport is playing a key role in the development of new technology. They used to say warfare drove forward innovations – these days that’s probably true for sport instead and especially big showpiece events. Technology and sport have enjoyed a particularly close relationship in recent years due to the introduction, enhancement and growth of systems such as Hawkeye in a variety of sports and the goal-line technology that is now installed in football stadiums throughout Europe.

Despite the increase in technological advancements across Europe, there are still some sports that sit behind the others in terms of their impact on the industry. Football, for example, has still not acted on a number of key flaws that have been covered in other sports and in Spain La Liga, one of the top league’s in the world, is still without goal-line technology.

Still, while some drag their heels, others continue to innovate. Here are five different ways that large sporting events can have a unique impact on the technology industry.

Close decisions

With the profile, attention – and not to mention betting levels – on large sporting events it is becoming more and more important to ensure that the decisions of officials are correct. Therefore, in most sports, it is now crucial for video technology and other systems that can help to determine a right decision. Hawkeye and similar technologies are now integral parts of tennis, cricket and numerous other sports in order to ensure tricky decisions can be reviewed and correctly judged. It is difficult to see how they could return to the previous form of these games after seeing just how successful these can be. The need for accuracy in terms of officiating has driven forward innovation in this field.

Advancements in tech-wearing devices

Sporting events can increase the amount of people wearing technological devices, including hearing aids, headsets and heart monitors. When sport fans see their heroes out on the field wearing the latest sporting equipment and gear, many choose to follow suit and purchase the latest equipment. Moreover, the ‘ref cam’ in Super League has been incredibly successful, and many are tempted into purchasing little gadgets and gizmos like this to use in sport and other areas of their day-today life! Sportsmen and women are more than just athletes. Their position as role models can set trends that others will follow.

The amount of money involved is huge

Sport is no longer played purely for enjoyment, mainly due to the incredible values of money that are now involved throughout the games. Sport – particularly at the highest and most high profile level – has the potential to boost the mood of a nation and even impact on its finances, including the price of shares! Football has seen an influx of foreign money that has had a major impact on the sport’s success in recent years. The stakes are high when it comes to top flight action and simply being in the same division as the best teams in, say, England, Spain, Germany and Italy, can have a huge impact on the fortunes of the towns and cities that are home to these clubs.

Sponsorship and investment

Sport sponsorship is incredibly popular, and many companies are choosing to get involved in order to benefit from the added advertising and moment in the public domain. Numerous betting corporations are heavily involved in television advertising but, in terms of genuine sponsorship of tournament, the appeal extends to the majority of top companies. For example, Coca Cola are the chief sponsor of FIFA and will sponsor the World Cup right through to 2022. Put simply, the money offered up by such blue chip sponsors provides the cash required to pay for better technology and coverage.

An increase in public interest means an increase in profits

Major sporting events should develop a much greater interest from the general public. Greater participation provides a greater market for equipment and the opportunity for new products and services for the mass market.  Again this fuels technology as companies look for new ways to use innovations to cater for a lucrative sporting market.

9 Best Apps and Games for Virtual Reality World

Guest Contributor
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Without further delay, lets get straight into the list of apps for virtual reality experience.

Oculus Rift

Facebook acquired Oculus Rift for $2 billion last year. Since then, it has become a by-word for virtual reality. Regardless of how many headsets are in development at the moment, whenever VR is mentioned Oculus Rift pops in everyone’s head.

Nearing its 2016 consumer release, it’s time we turn our attention to what virtual reality games we’ll be playing in the near future.

Please note that Oculus Rift isn’t the only VR headset on the market. Samsung’s Gear VR is making waves in the states, Steam’s partnerships with HTC will unleash SteamVR/The Vive, and Sony is working hard on their Project Morpheus headset.

Indie developers were the first to embrace the VR medium. AAA publishers aren’t that intrigued just yet. They are paying attention, from the shadows, waiting to see how consumers will adopt VR headsets.

Our gaming experience will be forever changed when VR hits.

Only time will tell which headset will reign supreme, until then let’s take a look at what the future holds for us.

NaissanceE

NaissancE is a first-person puzzle game. It tells the story of Lucy who awakens in a dark compound. It’s beautiful and nightmarish at the same time. I can even go as far as labeling it as a Lynchian dream.

It received Oculus Rift support on September of 2014.

It costs $14.99 and you can acquire it on PC.

 

Surgeon Simulator

Bossa Studios are more than an indie game developer. They are a game studio with terrific ideas. Surgeon Simulator lets users do surgery without a license. You are Doctor Nigel Burke, dubbed Mr. Butter-Fingers, and you’ll be operating on Bob, dubbed The Poor Soul.

It gets amazing and silly at the same time. Cracking ribs, rearranging organs, and trying to keep Bob alive eventually leads to Bob dying.

It received Oculus Rift support. It might be available on Sony’s Project Morpheus in the future.

It costs $3 and you can acquire it on PC and PS4.

 

EVE: Valkyrie

I’ve been dying to play EVE: Valkyrie since I first heard about it at the beginning of 2015. Valkyrie is a VR multiplayer game set in the EVE Online universe. You are guided by Ran, a female pilot. You start as a rookie eager to prove himself.

After you get through the game’s tutorial missions you’ll be allowed to get into the really juicy stuff. I’m talking about dogfights with other players.

It’s fast. It’s tons of fun. It’s easy to play.

It received Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus support. Valkyrie developer notes that their title will be available on the wide majority of VR headsets, but didn’t pin-point on which ones exactly.

At the moment of writing this article, price has not been communicated.

Paranormal Activity VR Edition

Yup. Paranormal Activity is coming to the VR medium. In an attempt to promote their dying franchise, PA will get a survival horror game release.

We don’t know anything else about the title except the fact that its release date will coincide with the movie launch sometime in 2016. Immersion is crucial if the PA dev wants it to be a success.

Hopefully, it will be more enjoyable than the lackluster movies.

It received Oculus Rift, Project Morpheus and HTC Vive support.

At the moment of writing this article, price has not been communicated.

Legendary VR

Legendary VR is a virtual reality app from Legendary Pictures. If you own a smartphone and a Google Cardboard then you have to try this staggering VR experience.

The app will allow you to experience scenes from Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim. A VR game based on Del Toro’s movie is in the works, but we don’t have a time frame for when it’s going to be released.

The Legendary app also features VR experiences from the studio’s upcoming movies such as Warcraft and Crimson Peak. VR and AR will most likely be the future for TV Channels.

It received Google Cardboard support.

It’s a free app which you can download from the iOS or Play Store.

Among the Sleep

Among the Sleep is an overlooked title. It features an infant that gets out of his crib keen to discover what goes bump in the night. You’ll be playing from a knee-high perspective, with some scenes where you’ll be crawling on the floor – yes, you, not the toddler.

Be warned, it’s really scary.

The game does a tremendous job conveying tension and it delivers the sought-after jump scares some adrenaline junkies are after. If you don’t want to sleep at night, go ahead and buy it.

It received Oculus Rift support.

It costs $19.99 and it comes with a free DLC, available on PC.

DinoTrek VR Experience

The perfect VR app for young’uns and adults alike. It transports the user to a by-gone era where dinosaurs freely roamed Earth. Graphics are decent, considering that it won’t cost you a dime to download.

It showcases the endless opportunities of the VR medium.

Your journey to the dino-age will be filled with a dizzying variety of activities. From dinos fighting each-other for food or territory to witnessing a full-fledged chase between smaller dinosaurs and a T-Rex – probably a reference to The Land Before Time animated movie.

It received Google Cardboard support.

It doesn’t cost a dime, it’s a free app. It’s available for Android and iOS.

World War Tunes

We got a second trailer at this year’s E3 event. The multiplayer shooter game has offered some pretty high expectations. Gamers were shocked, to say the least. It seems to be fun and easy to get into, with clever game mechanics and a slow learning curve.

For instance, whenever you grab a weapon or a tank, you’ll be promoted to a different class. Let’s say you are carrying a machine gun, after you pick up a bazooka you become a hulky soldier.

<iframe width=”600″ height=”338″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/_SoDKhvIQlo” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

Word War Tunes is developed by Reload studios and it’s set during a 20th century battlefield.

It received Oculus Rift Support. Rumors have it that World War Tunes will be available for Sony’s Project Morpheus also.

At the moment of writing this article, price has not been communicated.

Got hyped enough? If there’s any VR game or app that we might have missed, please tell us in the comments section below.

 

Guest Article by: Timothy Rice 
When I’m not gaming I’m usually writing short-stories about my escapades in the wilderness. I’m a Kubrick fan, but I agree that Wes Anderson better understands symmetry. I couldn’t live a day without chocolate, I couldn’t live an hour without writing.

Infographic – A quick Look Behind Google in Real Time

Sreejesh
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Top 8 Tips to Enhance Your Gaming Experience

Guest Contributor
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In their old age, all computers eventually start to creak. However, with a bit of tweaking and application of a few techniques, you can prolong the life of your gaming computer. There are lots of info on gaming, such as are found on Bobby Kotick’s Crunchbase that can be of help to you. Thus, follow this guide to enjoy the best entertainment without breaking your bank account for new hardware.

1. Clean your computer

A clean system can enhance all applications; this is also true for your games. Before considering buying new hardware, do some thorough cleaning on your machine. Your operating system (OS) benefits from reinstallation every few months to get rid of memory-resident applications, cobwebs, and other shackles that pile up over time. If you notice that your games are running slower than they were, this should be your first step.

2. Increase your memory

Any major component of your machine can drag your system if it is not powerful enough. Memory is less expensive to buy and simple to install; just pop in new RAM sticks and you are good to go. If you have a 4GB RAM and a 64-bit OS, you are well prepared to run anything in the market. But if you are not sure, go to Crucial.com and run the System Scanning Tool. It will give you an idea of how much memory you need to install.

3. Switch your video card

If your PC is a couple of years old, or it is not a dedicated gaming machine, the graphics card is likely to be terrible and inferior. 3D games need your computer to have a powerful graphics card. But buying a video card is not as easy as plugging one in. Graphics cards can be big and may require both cooling and space to handle them. They will also need a connection to your computer’s power supply, and if it is not powerful enough, the card may not work even after you fit it. Thus, check its specifications before making an order. However, if you have to make a choice between Nvidia and ATI cards, go for the Nvidia.

4. Update your drivers

Even if you have the best video card, this is easy to forget, and you will encounter problems with your card without up-to-date drivers. Thus, if you experience problems playing your favorite games, first update your drivers. This is painful but necessary.

5. Boost your processor

Without a decent video card, your CPU has little to offer you. But it still plays a vital role in determining how fast your system runs. A dual core is good for running most modern games. But a quad core processor is better, but only if you can afford it. At the moment, you don’t need more than this.

6. Don’t overclock

This sounds like heresy. Overclocking your CPU is not likely to make any significant difference in most games. However, if you plan on trying this, ensure that your cooling can handle it. You may have become used to overclocking because you enjoy it. But you can avoid it if you are uncomfortable getting your hands dirty.

7. Clean the machine

If you don’t mind bits of dirt on your hands, check the state of your computer case. If it is dirty, and the airways are blocked, it is probably not being cooled properly; this can seriously affect your computer’s performance. To clean your computer, turn the power off, and use a can of compressed air to blow away the dust. This is especially beneficial if you keep your computer on the floor.

8. Use solid state drives

With everything in its place, you can now check your hard disk. It is time for you to get a solid state drive (SSD) for both your OS and your game files. An SSD is smaller than the regular drives, but its performance compensates for this. It is recommended to have two drives. The second drive should be a big, traditional, terabyte-sized drive to hold your files such as photos and videos, and the other one for application handling. But you will need a large SSD because modern games are massive, and they will get even bigger as the graphics technology improves.

You can enjoy fast and smooth gaming even on a tight budget by cleaning your computer, improving the graphics and memory and boosting the processor. Follow this advice to improve your gaming experience.

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